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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (May 24, 2013)
Street roots May 24 2013 P H O T O BY LEA H N A S H H is Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, gives one o f several lectures in the Portland area earlier this month as part o f the Environmental Su m m it sponsored by M aitripa Collage Dalai Lama’s teachings resonate with Street Roots vendor BY HOBO JOHN decent reporter and was able to stop a crooked sewer deal between a local was a little manic several springs back politician and some bigwig lobbyists, but it on the streets of a small Texas town caused me a lot of anxiety. I was also a called Mansfield. The police and I had complete ass to work with, and simply did been through several run-ins, which resulted not feel safe being in one spot where my in me landing in a Fort Worth mental attacker might find me again and eventually hospital. Being a ward of the state scared lost my job and found myself homeless, me a bit, because they were in charge of which allowed me to drift. when I got out. Also, at the point in my life I The Dalai Lama speaks, as I imagine didn’t trust much of anything or anybody. Christ spoke, with authority. It was an Shortly after my arrival they took me to a environmental conference, and if you are wing that seemed to take forever to get to. alive you know that we have been poor My imagination was running pretty good; stewards of the earth. I attended several straight jackets, electric shock that type of events over two days at the University of thing. When we arrived someone in the Portland and Memorial Coliseum. Typical of lobby was reading a copy of a book written His Holiness, he said little about the by the Dalai Lama. I consider myself a environment and focused on trying to get us spiritual person and at that point I had read to be better people. I like his approach, how a couple of books by the Tibetan holy man. can we expect to take care of nature when Seeing his picture calmed me and reminded we don’t take care of each other? However me that God’s love is everywhere and I what he did say really struck me, “ God would get through this. created the earth, it too is one of his Back in January, when I saw a billboard creations, if you respect and love God, you saying that the Dalai Lama would be in must respect the earth and take care of Portland, it created some anxiety. First of her.” all, how would I afford a ticket, and then Christ tells us to love our enemies and I let’s say I did get to see him, and God’s take that seriously. However, I developed an ambassador of compassion didn’t care much aggressive sarcastic tongue over the first 40 for my hobo ass. Eventually I checked the years of my life and dismantling it hasn’t website for the event and saw that I could been easy. Not that I have a lot of enemies, apply for press pass online, which I went but on the streets you tend to get your fair ahead and did using Street Roots as the share of scorn, and worse for me, people organization. Thing is, I didn’t asked Streets completely ignoring you when you are trying Roots, kind of manipulative, I know, and one to talk to them. I even had my Street Roots of the list of about a thousand things I am badge yanked a couple of times, for giving working on improving. Well they scolded me people lip. So when the Dalai Lama said, a little bit but said I could go. “Do no harm,” which is a beginning tenant My homeless adventure started about 10 in both Buddhism and Hinduism, I made a years ago in the Florida Keys, I was working vow to double my effort in reining in my as a newspaper reporter for a small weekly tongue. When you make an oath like that, called the Islamorada Free Press when a God will sometimes ask, “really?” memory surfaced of being molested as a kid The next day I was talking to a buddy by my judo instructor. I had always standing next to my shopping cart. Every remembered part of that night, but this once in a while my shopping cart will set repressed part was violent and in my mind someone off, they may be have been on the disgusting. It created some posttraumatic streets themselves or are getting close to stress disorder and severe panic attacks. In landing there. This guy I had never seen my mind at times, I was a 9-year-old kid before starts yelling, “fuck you,” at me from again and this guy was after me. I was a halfway down the street. He keeps yelling it S TR EET R O O T S V E N D O R I John M ichael Christian, or “Hobo John, ” is a regular Street Roots vendor. over and over until he is right in front of me with his middle finger right in my face. I just stood there smiling, this seemed to irritate him a little, and so he proceeded to stick that finger straight up my nose. Unfortunately I did not turn the other nostril. I spun him around; bear hugged him a little, told him to never touch me again and shoved him on his way. I am not proud of that, but that is what forgiveness is for, that is also life, we live and learn. I got another chance later that night. I was laying on my bag in a door way when this group of kids in a car sees me and start yelling, “You’re a lazy bum, what a fucking bum,” etc. Well I just laid there feeling peaceful and smiling at them. Turn the other cheek works, seeing no resistance, by the time the light turned green the wind had gone out of there and they sped off. Tibetan Buddhism teaches that compassion is the desire to relieve the suffering of another. What does compassion look like? Well according to the Dalai Lama compassion looks like affection. He used that word repeatedly throughout the conference and displayed it endlessly. At the end, the key organizer of the event, Yangsi Rinpoche, president of Maitripa College here in Portland, was bowing at the Dalai Lama’s feet, His Holiness was rubbing his head and telling the audience what a good boy he was and how much he loved him. Yangsi sat there soaking up the love, just like the rest of us. After that, the Red Hot Chili Peppers played for about an hour. I have always respected the Peppers while not being a huge fan; some of their music is too discordant for me, but I do love several songs, and they played like beasts. There third number was Scar Tissue, after the opening chords I was crying like a baby, grateful for the healing of my scars I guess, the shadowy figure from my past has been forgiven and is loved - by me, at least. I am at peace and happy on the streets. I am also incredibly grateful to encounter His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, a living embodiment of Christ’s teachings here on earth.
